Johnson Controls has announced acquisition of smart thermostat maker Lux, showing its ambition to make it in the smart home market.
Johnson Controls, the company that invented the electric room thermostat back in 1885, has announced acquisition of smart thermostat maker Lux.
Based in Philadelphia, United States, the 104-year-old Lux provides HVAC technology and products for residential and commercial buildings. For the smart home sector, it offers the Kono and Geo smart thermostat models.
While Johnson Controls is an expert in the field of HVAC, it’s a beginner in the smart home industry, shipping its first smart thermostat GLAS in the past August.
Through this acquisition, Johnson Controls has showed its ambition to make it in the smart thermostat as well as smart home markets.
“The acquisition of LUX strengthens our portfolio in the consumer retail channel and offerings in thermostats,” says Chris Eichmann, vice president and general manager of Johnson Controls, in a statement.
CEO of Lux, Rob Munin, will become the general manager for the thermostats unit at Johnson Controls. “Together, we will enhance a strong position in the residential channel and look forward to expanding our offerings to serve a wide range of customers,” says Munin.
GLAS, Johnson Controls’ first thermostat, is built on Microsoft’s Windows 10 IoT Core operating system, with Cortana powering the device. It distinguishes itself from other competitors with designs - a 6-inch and eyeglass-thick OLED touchscreen showing current temperatures, indoor and outdoor air quality, humidity and energy-saving information.
The thermostat also supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control. If homeowners have an Echo or a Google Home at home, they can ask the assistant to adjust the temperature via voice.
Thermostats made by Lux, on the other hand, have well-functioning features and decoration-centric design, and support most major smart home platforms such as Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.